I.

Introduction

Child Welfare, term used to refer to a broad range of social programs that contribute to the well-being of children. In the United States, child-welfare programs are adapted to the needs of children whose families do not have the means or the inclination to take proper care of them. Some estimates suggest that this group involves 1 out of 20 children under 18 years of age.

Few efforts were made by any government to protect the health and welfare of children before the 20th century. In the United States, the establishment of the U.S. Children’s Bureau in 1912 marked the beginning of modern child-welfare programs and public recognition of children’s special needs. In 1959 the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which affirmed the rights of children everywhere to receive adequate care from parents and the community. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, attempts to consolidate international law on the basic rights of children to survival, education, and protection from abuse and exploitation.